TRANSFORMERS RISING STORMS
by Galaxiacana
Summary: Some Decepticons were different, some just wanted a better future. Follow the journey of one such Decepticon who discovers life is so much more than what he percieved it to be. In the end, who will he choose, Autobots or Decepticons, Optimus Prime or Megatron! Based on an original character. Follows time span from Cybertron up to dark side of the moon. PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

TRANSFORMERS - RISING STORMS

Chapter 1 – A Twist of Perceptions 

A/N: Hello people! Okay, this is my very first go at writing fanfiction and to be perfectly honest, I am not sure if I am any good at it. I would be incredibly grate ful if you could review this and any suggestions, advice, problems etc. would be gratefully recieved. I recieved inspiration to write this piece after watching all three transformer films and might develop it futher if you think it has potential. I intend for this to revolve around an original character but following the plotline of the films. Please be kind in any reviews and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Peace. What a strange concept. Never in the eons I have lived through have I come across such a profound notion, that of which mutual understanding of moralities and ideals from all corners of the galaxies, can come together to co-exist freely. I'll admit, I have never thought it to be completely beyond are reach, although, looking around one would have to be blind to not see the conflict tearing apart the very fabric which separates us from the lower life forms.

Is life truly meant to be this way? I find myself asking this a lot lately, but who can blame me? I have witnessed and been a part of enough wars to understand the concepts of the driving force behind the urge to spill blood for a common goal. Whether it is for power, prestige or something nobler such as fighting for one's freedom or that of an entire race, we still never stop to ask the big questions. Is this the only answer to our problems? Must we wade through a river of blood just so we can achieve something? Of course, I am not suggesting that I am some pure being of innocence. I have committed my fair share of sins which, for now, are better left unmentioned. I am no better than the next being when it comes to such matters, but still, am I the only one who bothers to think of such things? Or perhaps, I being who I am it is not expected of me to hold such compassion for another's life, or to feel anything negative about the prospect of killing something far weaker than myself. To show my superiority over a being that can only be viewed as a slave, to those of the same species as me.

I don't fool myself into believing I am some divine spectre of wisdom. I say it how I see it and Cybertronians alike decide for themselves if I am worthy of their time, not that I speak any of these thoughts out loud. I would be scorned with treason to the ideals which beings of my kind hold in the highest regards. I expect I would earn a few points with the opposition though. My mind spouts out the very drabble they preach to any soul willing to listen. Not that I blame them. In times such as these, you cannot remain neutral. Those that try to are deluding themselves. War waits for no one; you pick a side and pray that the cause you are fighting for will be one you won't come to regret later. Such issues as these remain common place these days, ones that are best not left to dwell on.

Times are tough, tougher than they have ever been. The wars escalation seems inevitable now and I doubt anything will have any success at preventing it. The ideologies of the two factions, so diverse in their nature, are clawing at the bonds that once tied us together. Friendship seems a thing of the past, no longer relevant in this day and age as brother turns on brother and friends become enemies. All to support a side that is as flawed as its opposition. We would delude ourselves with the knowledge that we are the ones who are right, that we have captured the true interests of our people and have the appropriate capabilities and perspective to carry out the necessary requirements. When it comes down to it though, I realise that it's just about one side fighting for power and the other hanging on to it.

Such beings as ourselves like to think that we are gods. Perhaps we are. We certainly tower above the other species not just in size, but in technological advances. With the weapons we have, we are considered by many to be harbingers of death and destruction. Yet they do not realise we were once a peaceful race. How can they possibly see this? Their eyes are greeted with the sight of a planet-wide civil war, and with it the potential to rip apart the numerous other peaceful worlds in-habiting neighbouring solar systems. This it would seem is unavoidable. War claims many victims and with it many lives. Its effects spread wide and far, as does the rippling effects of a pebble when dropped into a puddle. None of us will make it out unscathed, as damage can be brought upon us both physically and mentally. Injuries of the body can mend, at least in most cases. However injuries the mind sustains require a longer more intricate response. Some heal, others do not. The emotional impact a battle has on an individual varies, and at some point we all will fall victim to the darkness and desolation that is war. Whether we are strong enough to overcome this is another matter entirely.

I like to believe myself to be strong in such scenarios as these. So much blood stains my hands, too ingrained in my soul (if beings like us have one) to remove. The things I have done, and the horrors I am sure I have yet to commit, linger in my mind and will last until I take my final breath. In this sense, war is a curse. We cannot run from our past, for it will always catch up to us. Instead I have learned to embrace it, to take the memories of what I have done and to keep it as a reminder of all that has been lost and for what I am fighting for. The sole belief in my actions towards the eventual outcome gives me strength, and a small consolation that those that have died fighting beside me, have not died in vain. As for those who met their end at my hands, I can give no apology, for such words cannot possibly express the depths of my sorrow, nor atone for the very sin itself. Those who are on the same side as me would not hesitate in killing off an enemy, despite the fact that the enemy was of our own kind, the same as us only fighting for a different cause. I am sure this fact alone would serve as an excuse for those of both sides. With the knowledge that in the heat of battle, we all live in the moment. That there is no distinction between us other than the symbol we wear boldly on our armour. We fight for our goals and the people who share them, those who oppose and choose to raise a weapon to us are enemy combatants who seek to derail are ambitions, and therefore must be eliminated, no matter who they are on a personal level to us. With this thought in mind, we push on, without caring for the consequences of our actions.

As for what will come from all this, I can only hope it will be worth the sacrifices made. After all, death is too higher price to pay if victory is not achieved. Despite this it is becoming all too clear that death will occur no matter which side wins. Cybertron is falling victim to the ceaseless violence engulfing it. The once beautiful land now tarnished and scattered with the remnants of battle upon battle. My fellow brethren do not care for this fact, although I often wonder if a part of them does. This is after all, our home.

The thunderous echo of explosions sound from the distance, so powerful I can feel the tremors. Iacon has become the new war ground since my leader brought the fight to it. It will only be a matter of time before it falls. I know that my fellow comrades are cheering for this prospect and a part of me wishes to join in with them. Such feelings as these run thick through my programming. War is in every circuit I possess, and yet I can't help but mourn for all that is being lost. I did not set out in life to become an antagonist of a once peaceful system, yet I made my choice just as many others did. I want what is best for Cybertron and if overthrowing a few worlds is the way to secure a more prospective future, then that is what I will do. I will follow my duties and the orders given to me and whatever the outcome is, we shall have to accept it and face up to any issues that result from it.

The battle rages on between the two factions and soon fate will have me making decisions that will affect the course of my life and perhaps that of others. I can only hope in my mind that something better will come out of all of this conflict. That this war and those to come will end soon. As a Decepticon, I should not possess any of these thoughts but then again, I always considered myself unorthodox. I am positive that I am not the only one who shares these thoughts; maybe someday they will amount to something. Until then, I will fight.

My name is Darkstreak, and I am a Cybertronian fighting for my future.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Okay, this is my second chap. i had severe writers block for ages but now I'm back on track. This is very alternate universe from the Transformers franchise and I have changed things to suit my plot-line, so please forgive any inconsistencies and changes. Anyway hope you enjoy and I shall be moving onto planet Earth soon enough.

* * *

Darkstreak gazed around at the remnants of the battle that had only just taken place. The land was barely recognisable from what it had previously looked like. Blast fire from plasma cannons and numerous other weapons left their signature scorch marks upon whatever surface it hit. The metal which made up almost the entire infrastructure of the planet was tarnished and damaged, in a way that even the most experienced of Constructicons would have difficulty in restoring.

The bodies of the dead, Autobot and Decepticon alike, were scattered as far as the optic could see. It was too hard to say which faction had suffered the most losses, though it was clear that the loss was great on either side. One body caught my eye in particular as I made my way through the wreckage. The anatomy of the Cybertronian was twisted and destroyed, near impossible to identify, if it were not for the markings on the almost non-existent torso. _Acidclaw,_ I thought with a pang of sadness in my spark. One of the few Decepticons I could truly call friend. He had been by my side since we were sparklings. I protected him and helped him when he was down or in trouble. He was, in every way, like a brother to me. My grief was so deep I did not notice the sound of footsteps behind me.

"Darkstreak, we are ready to head out to the next sight, at your word".

"Yes…..yes, I'm coming," I said distractedly, turning to meet the gaze of Firewing.

"Acidclaw," Firewing sighed, noticing the source of my sadness, "the Autobots will pay dearly for his loss, and the loss of the others".

His conviction eased the angst I was battling through and I felt the bittersweet notion that coursed through my circuits at the prospect of revenge. It did not truly matter to me at this point, which Autobot did this for they were all guilty; all had some part to play in every death, no matter what the more logical side to my mind thought.

"We have suffered so much loss. I cannot foresee an end to this anytime soon. I promised him that we would make it through this together, and now he's _gone,_" I spat.

"Acidclaw fought bravely Darkstreak. He has made our people proud. His sacrifice will not be in vain, I assure you. The day will come when we shall prevail and all those Cybertronians who are responsible for the deaths of our brothers will suffer the consequences".

A sudden wave of bitterness and despair washes over me, recollections of the past few days swarm through my mind. Gazing upon body after body was taking its toll. I spin round to face him, red eyes blazing.

"Oh yes and what day will that be, because by that time everyone we care about could be either dead or close to it. He was the closest thing I had to a family. Now all I have our orders and empty promises of a better future", I say harshly.

"You don't honestly mean that, do you? You know better than any of us what it is we strive for. To give up now is not an option, nor is it one the others will take kindly to".

_Of course, _I thought dismally. _This war will end only when Lord Megatron reigns victorious and his half-brother Optimus Prime is wasting away in Primus knows where. _

He placed his clawed hand briefly on my shoulder, in a gesture of reassurance, one that I appreciated despite my warring emotions. Attempting to draw upon a confidence I did not feel, I moved away from my fallen friend, pausing a moment to give my final regards.

Turning away a moment later, I begin to head to the rest of my team, Firewing following.

"What is the update from Starscream?"

"They have succeeded in claiming the previously occupied Autobot lands of Altihex and are now seeking to move their remaining artillery further north, to Praxus. They have suffered severe losses, although not as damaging as it could have been given the scale of the attack. Word is that the Autobots are trying to recruit neutrals into fighting."

_Huh, so much for the peace propaganda._ "And how is that going".

"Unfortunately, there are more opposed to our way of thinking than those who agree with our cause. News of the massacre at Kalis has spread far, and many of the neutral territories resent that."

"Nothing can be done about that I'm afraid. Many Autobots died that day yet they all conveniently look past the fact that there was an equal amount of Decepticon losses as well."

"Yes, and all for nothing", muttered Firewing.

I could not help but agree. Recalling the incident always left me restless. It was the first major setback in our Lord's plans, and my first failure that had haunted me ever since. The city of Kalis was directly situated under a huge fusion reactor and propulsion engine, powered by enough Energon to keep alive the entirety of Tarn for a good long time. At the briefing with Megaton's generals and trusted allies, and Megatron himself, it was made clear that it was of paramount importance that the city was captured. It was but the first stage to transform Cybertron into a travelling battle station, a stage that never came into fruition. I was honoured to be placed in command of the operation, although I had doubts about it. The ramifications of a failure were too great, not to mention that if something happened to the reactors engine, it would annihilate Kalis completely. As the city was under Autobot jurisdiction, a full scale battle to capture it for Decepticon control would have jeopardised the plan. In order for us to succeed, it required subtler methods. Many Cybertronians at the scientific facility were either neutral or Autobot, Decepticons were obviously not allowed. It was too risky to send in a Decepticon spy, so the best course of action was to bribe one of the scientists. Anyone can be bought, whether through greed or fear or even manipulation. It was our luck that we became acquainted with an Autobot who was less than satisfied with his colleagues for one reason or another. He simply stated that he wanted the recognition he was denied, angry at the fact that his ideas and projects were never taken seriously. He was more than willing to switch sides if it meant he could achieve whatever he desired in the field of science, and we would be able to seize control of the reactors. A win win situation or at least it should have been.

There was a small setback however. The reactors needed to be rebuilt before they could be activated. This he assured us was possible, although it would be impossible to do so with the station filled with those who would stop him. To overcome this, it was decided to raise a false alarm within the facility to evacuate all personnel, except for our ally. To protect him whilst completing his work, he was given a small army of reanimated robot corpses (thanks to the Dark Energon) to guard him. Unfortunately the rogue Autobot proved to be more cunning than he led on. Once he had rebuilt the engines, he held the activation codes for himself, using them to attempt to achieve his own ends which to this day I do not know. Furious that I had lost control of our supposed ally with an army at his disposal, I contacted Lord Megatron. Of course, he was enraged by this turn of events. He ordered me to do whatever it took to get those codes. Thinking quickly I had sent a small task force of Decepticon infiltrators with Energon powered weaponry inside the unit to eliminate the guards and contain the scientist. By that time however, unknown to us, a group of Autobots had already made their way inside the base, destroyed the army and the reactor. The codes were now useless to us and Lord Megatron's plan along with it. The only reason why I was not punished for the failure was because of me and my unit, who managed to capture the fleeing scientist before he fell into the clutches of the Autobots. Needless to say his punishment for his betrayal issued by an infuriated Lord Megatron was severe at the very least, death would have been the kinder option but that was out of the question. Ever since that incident, the once grand city had become yet another crumbling ruin, and all who fought there were massacred by each other. It reached the point where the city was too damaged to bother fighting over anymore and so the battles moved on.

Although it was not widely seen as a failure on my behalf, I have always seen it as such. I was not keen on the plan to use fusion reactors, but it was not my place to question the Lord's motives, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter. Besides, he gave me the position many of his other generals would have killed to have. A result due to our shared history.

The calling of my name shook me from my thoughts. Slightly dazed, I turned to Firewing, who had a concerned look on his face.

"Sir, are you okay? You blanked out for a moment there."

"Yes, just thinking on something from the past. Never mind that, we need to meet up with Starscream, if he intends to take on Praxus, he will need more fighters."

"I heard that Optimus Prime was heading there, do you think we have the firepower to take him on?" Firewing asked, unsure.

"Prime is as vulnerable to plasma fire as any other Cybertron," I state confidently.

"I hope your right, because he hasn't gone down yet," Firewing pointed out.

Putting on a brave face is one thing; acting on your words is another. Despite my allegiance to the Decepticon cause, I cannot help but feel a small amount of respect for Optimus Prime. When I look past the Autobot sigil I see a skilled warrior and a visionary leader. I am sure that I would feel regret if such a Cybertronian were to fall, but alas, this is what the war has reduced us to. They call it the Great War, yet I see nothing great about it. Death and destruction are not defining symbols of greatness, honour and justice are. Once again I question myself on why I think such thoughts. I am certainly no Autobot, nor would I ever intend to be. Also there is the fact that I am not at all popular with any Autobot given my close ties to Megatron. So why should I think like this?

Shaking these thoughts from my head I and my two wingmen, Firewing and Titan, transform into our aircraft forms and set our destination to Praxus. My silent doubts once again flickering around in my mind as a mixture of determination and anticipation flows through me.

One thing is clear to me though, _I will not fail._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Confrontations

Wow, third chap. This is certainly taking longer than I expected, but still it won't be long before our cybertronic friends reach Earth. I would seriously appreciate any ratings between 1-10 (1 being the worst-10 the best). I apologise if this is all unfamiliar to you, literally all of this is original but I promise it will get better once it begins to follow the sequence of the films. As to the queries about using dark energon, I am of course not going to use it once the transformers reach earth as it is not in the films. The purpose of these chapters are simply me trying to create what I envision life on Cybertron to be like before the films, so apologies if there is confusion.

* * *

_Flying never ceases to thrill me, _I thought as I skimmed 40,000 feet over the planet's surface, _and yet the joy of it fades somewhat once you gaze upon the devastation below. _To any other Decepticon, perhaps the destruction of fallen cities would bring a sense of satisfaction, knowing that they were one step closer to achieving domination over the planet and a superior hand over the enemy. To me however, it is but another reminder of the depths we have had to go through to secure a victory.

The ground below was a raging inferno of fire, smoke and Energon radiation. What little could be seen through the dense smoke was anarchy. The twisted remains that littered the ground spread for miles around, too obliterated to distinguish between infrastructure and Cybertronian. The hollowed out wreckage of buildings near and far stood like symbolic headstones for the dead, spreading a grave message to those of the living, those who should resist. An eternal darkness seemed to spread the distance we flew, the smoke having blocked out the cold glow of the stars above. I felt a shiver run through my circuits at the thought. _Will we ever see the end to this? I_ thought forlornly, _a future comprised of darkness is no future at all. _Pushing these heavy thoughts away, I gaze upwards into the distance. Praxus loomed ahead like a beacon in the dark. Even from this distance the Helix Gardens were a spectacle to gaze at. The crystals seemed to glow from an inner light of their own, the garden itself serving as a place for contemplation and peaceful thoughts for many a Cybertronian. Nowadays however it would serve the mind a way to escape from the war. For how long it would last was something else entirely.

An incoming transmission over my own secure frequency alerted me to the fact that our hidden base was close. As Praxus was very much an Autobot based State, any presences of Decepticons were neutralized immediately. The Autobots guarded Praxus passionately, as it was seen by many to be the centre of science, technology, philosophy, art and culture. Flying low as to avoid any enemy scanners, I signalled to my wingmen and flew a small sweep of the base before swooping to the ground, transforming in mid-air, with Firewing and Titan in tow.

The base wasn't anything special to look at, but that was what disguised its presence. As we are a proud race, all our other Decepticon bases are out in the open for every Cybertronian to see. We do not like to hide away from the enemy and the Autobots know this. This being the case they would not expect us to hide a base in plain sight. The base of operations was a good few miles underground, beneath a large communications tower which was destroyed after a particularly catastrophic explosion in a nearby building. I was about to enter when the large doors opened. At the head of the procession was Starscream, along with his two wingmen Thundercracker and Skywarp. Behind them was a group of around twenty Decepticon fighters, some of which looked to be Cybertronian corpses powered by Dark Energon.

I silently grimaced as Starscream approached. Out of all of Lord Megatron's generals, Starscream was perhaps the only one I truly disliked, and the feeling was mutually returned. He viewed me as his biggest threat to the position of second-in-command (a place he was willing to go through the extremes for), openly challenging me for Megatron's favour. The fact that he continually tried to gain leadership vexed me, yet we are obligated to work together at such times as was required. This incident being one of them. The fact that I am always above him, both in favour and rank did give me some satisfaction however. Starscream never did appreciate being given orders.

"I have received your report on your success in Altihex; the Autobots have been weakened as a result. A shame that you couldn't have accomplished it with fewer losses", I stated, enjoying the way Starscream bristled. "I'll have you know….sir" he ground out, "that the Autobots sufficiently outnumbered us in both fighters and munitions. Not to mention the fact that most of my fighters our merely Dark Energon powered beings." "Even so if you had chosen a more tactical approach, like Lord Megatron had suggested, instead of taking things into your own hands and giving an all-out offensive, perhaps you would have been able to take them by surprise. Unless you believe that you know better than our Lord?" "How dare you….." Starscream stuttered in rage. "I suggest that if you wish to remain in his good books, you start toning down your arrogance and your belief that everything should revolve around you, and start acting in a manner more befitting of your position. Needless to say the previous attack you led on Crystal City's border failed to reach the expectations Lord Megatron had in mind and instead resulted in another colossal loss of fighters due to your cowardice. "If you think….." Starscream bellowed. "Now I recommend you gather your remaining forces and start sweeping the air for any signs of Autobot activity. Soundwave informed Firewing on the way here that Optimus Prime himself is expected to be here, and the last thing we need is a surprise attack. Lord Megatron himself will be here shortly to oversee this attack himself, especially if Prime is involved."

Without another word I walked off to meet with the rest of my forces, who I could see approaching over the horizon, leaving a raging Starscream behind. I half expected to feel a plasma bolt impact with my back, but not even he would be that stupid. Being Megatron's second had its advantages after all. The blast of jet engines behind me alerted me to the fact that Starscream and his wingmen had taken to patrol the skies. Thinking about it though, if there was one thing that I could give him credit for, it was that he was a skilled flier. He was one of the best.

"Report" I state, sweeping my optics over the group of fighters. "All is quiet sir. We encountered no hostile forces on the roads, although we picked up a large amount of chatter on the secure Autobot frequencies. They were too encrypted to attempt to decipher". "Very well, I want you to group a short distance away from the main entrance of Praxus. Do not bother to hide yourselves, the bigger display of strength we put on, the more the civilians will see that resistance is futile. Hopefully they'll have enough sense to surrender without a fight. Many of them are neutrals and so therefore have no quarrels with us. It's the Autobots we have to worry about." "Yes sir…...uh sir, is it true that Lord Megatron himself is coming here?" "Yes. Praxus is one of the key cities in which supply Primes armies and hold many Autobots and their sympathisers. If we take it, it will be a damaging blow to their fight. As we made it clear already that we intend to lay siege of it, Optimus Prime is fully aware, and sure enough he will attempt to stop us. Lord Megatron intends to face him himself." Despite this, I still couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of ulterior motive to this attack. Megatron wanted Optimus Prime dead that much everyone knew, but still it seemed a bit to sudden to launch a direct assault himself against Prime after countless cycles remaining under his radar. _Something else is at work here, I'm certain of it. _

At that moment, Starscream landed at my side, agitation and excitement evident in his stance. "Lord Megatron approaches". An instant later, the harsh sound of a motor and gears on metal could be heard in the distance. Megatron advanced in his large heavy duty vehicle form, which was quite the impressive sight to behold in itself. As he drew closer he morphed into his Cybertronian form, each gear and piece of metal moving in perfect synchronisation with each other, until he became the towering figure which was their lord. His fiery red optics glanced briefly around the base before landing on Starscream and eventually me. "Have you managed to triangulate the Autobots' position?" "Unfortunately not, my Lord. Soundwave was unsuccessful in breaking though the encryptions of their communications. It would seem that they have updated their software to an even more advanced system. I'm afraid we are relying on visual sighting alone to ascertain their whereabouts, although that's proving difficult with the increasing density of the air pollution". "Well, at least we have the city surrounded. I know Optimus; he will not strike if he feels the wellbeing of those in the city is threatened. No…he will try something subtler. Send scouts out to ascertain the hold we currently have outside the city walls. Starscream". "Yes my Lord?" "Continue your patrol of the skies. If you see anything that even remotely resembles a weapon or an Autobot, send word back," His arm suddenly lunged out, clawed fingers wrapping around Starscream's throat, lifting him up and slamming into a nearby wall, "and this time _Do. As. I. Say_. Or else I will find someone who can follow orders without suffering the vast amount of losses you continue to demonstrate!" "Y-yes my Lord, certainly my Lord, I-I would never wish to displease you….."

Dropping Starscream to the ground with a growl, Starscream quickly picked himself up and went bowing to Megatron. "Oh thank-you, thank-you master, oh my master, such mercy. I cannot begin to….." "Oh spare me your pathetic grovelling you gaseous sycophant and get on with that patrol".

My scarcely concealed sneer at Starscream's snivelling behaviour quickly turned into a smirk as he threw a hasty glare at me, and once again took to the skies. Megatron shook his head disgustedly and beckoned me to follow. I silently waited for him to speak first, sensing that what he had to say was of significant importance.

"You are perhaps wondering why I have taken such a keen interest in Praxus". It was more of a statement than a question I realised. "Honestly, I am slightly curious though not entirely surprised. Praxus is an important landmark to the opposition. Its loss would impact greatly on their moral". "Yes, there is that. However I had different intentions in mind for taking this city", he paused for a moment. "I have managed to trace the All Sparks energy signature to the centre of Praxus, but the trail is very faint. It was moved a very long time ago, off world, yet I may still be able to pick up the signature if I can get to its origin, within the city walls". "And I take it that we are to be the distraction," I surmised. At his nod I stated "With respect my Lord, it will be difficult to reach the location even with all our forces expended. Optimus may not suspect the true reasons for this attack but he will have suspicions none the less. It won't be possible to face him as well as search for the signature". We paused in are walking as he turned to face me, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "Ah, but that is where our fighters come in Darkstreak. You are correct in what you say. Prime will be a thorn in my side, but not if they distract him". "How will they do that? He will surely come after you", I stated curiously. Megatron gave a decisive smirk. "Not unless he finds himself otherwise occupied with saving those pathetic parasites. Starscream and Barricade will charge the city walls with the others, take out any Autobot scum they find and capture as many hostages as possible. I managed to recently bribe the alliance of a senior senate member in Praxus. When I give the word he will lead his associates to what they will believe to be a safe zone for them to hide while the Autobots arrive, but it will actually be a trap to keep them under hostage. Optimus could not afford such important and influential figures as them to be wasted from blast fire. He will focus all of his attention on them while I, you and Shockwave will seek out the All Spark signature".

Outwardly I showed my support of the plan, but inwardly I couldn't help but feel a pang of distress at the thought of the number of innocents that would die in this siege. While it was true that I held no little disdain for the corrupt senate members who watched many of our kind wallow in despair and poverty without lifting a finger to stop it, I did not wish for them to die. They would be of better use alive, but with Starscream and Barricade as their guards, I could not hold out much hope that any of them would be alive for Prime to save. While it would undoubtedly serve as an adequate distraction, I could not help but feel a sense of doom.

"You are quiet Darkstreak. You have reservations?" Megatron stated flatly. "I cannot help but feel that relying on Starscream in such a sensitive environment is too risky. He's disobeyed you before and if any one of those Autobots are killed, it could destroy the tentative relations between ourselves and the neutrals. As for Barricade, he's too loyal to Starscream. He will not hold him back should Starscream lose his patience with babysitting". "You have become too suspicious Darkstreak," Megatron chuckled. "Whatever Starscream's reservations are against me, he still values are goals as strongly as you and I." Noticing my silence, he continued, "If he values his life he will not dare disobey me. He holds self- preservation above all else, he's smart enough to realise the consequences". "I understand," I sighed. "When….." "My Lord Megatron," Starscream's voice sounded on the intercom. "Prime and his team are approaching the city, twelve miles out of range. Your orders?" "Seize the city with everything we have. Once it's secure you will meet are ally at the senate building and guard them with Barricade and whatever fighters you can spare. I want them secure, do I make myself clear?" Megatron all but hissed. "Yes my Lord, crystal clear." Starscream said, signing off a moment later.

Turning to face the city which was slowly crumbling under the onslaught of the siege which had just begun, I heard the panicked shouts of the Cybertronians, the defiant hails from the resistors, heralding the Autobots even as they were struck down by Energon bolts. The cries of anguish as friends and family alike were killed. Buildings exploded into debris as cannons impacted with them, and everywhere I could see Cybertronians were trying futilely to escape, only to be shot down by aerial attacks. Glancing to my side I saw Megatron smirking victoriously, seeking solace in the screams of pain and despair. I wondered, not for the first time, how the Cybertronian, who stood up for and saved my life, could take such refuge in blood shed.

An explosive bang sounded in the distance and I quickly turned to see one of the air fighters impact into an already crumbling building, the result of a plasma bold impacting in its fuselage. Gazing past the wreckage, I felt my circuits buzz. The shape was all too distinctive, even from this far away. The looming figure of Optimus Prime sped towards the city walls, his team following. I felt more than heard Megatron's menacing laugh and once again felt that impending sense of doom, more powerful than previously. Whatever was going to happen in this battle, I was sure it would mark history.

"And so it begins," Megatron muttered, confidence and dark intention radiating from his voice. _And so it begins, _I repeated silently, the confidence I felt earlier fading to be replaced with a desperate hope that this would not all be for nothing. Gazing at Prime, tearing into the battle with such fiery determination and passion, I truly doubted my words.


End file.
